The Client Contact Person:
Dilshod Asozoda
Deputy Chairman of Nurek City
21A Rudaki Ave, Nurek Municipality
Tajikistan
Tel: +992 918 65 6453
Fax: +992 93 990 2525
Email: Dilshod-asoev@mail.ru
The EBRD Contact Person:
Sarah Platt-Smyth
Technical Co-operation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 8518
E-mail: plattsms@ebrd.com
Project Description:
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “EBRD" or the “Bank”) is considering a senior loan to the SUE “OBHOI NUSHOKI VA KORREZI” (the “Company”) in the city of Nurek (the “City”) to finance the rehabilitation of the water supply and selected wastewater improvements in the City (the “Project”).
The Project objectives are to: (i) rehabilitate the water supply system and selected wastewater improvements; (ii) improve billing and collection efficiency; and (iii) improve financial and operational management. The Project will lead to a reduction in operating and maintenance costs for water supply and reduce wastage of water.
Assignment Description:
The Client now intends to retain a consulting company (the “Consultant”) to support the Company to improve its commercial standing, service and environmental and social performance by helping to identify and implement the necessary corporate, financial and operational improvements required to meet the related covenants included in the EBRD finance documents (the “Assignment”).
The Consultant is expected to implement the Assignment which comprises the following three main parts:
Part I: Corporate Development Programme for the Company
The Consultant shall assist the Company to improve its commercial standing, service and environmental/Social performance by supporting the identification and implementation where necessary establishment of the corporate, financial, operational and environmental/social management required meeting the related covenants included in the EBRD financing documents. The Consultant shall also assist the Company to develop a medium-term focused corporate development plan and to improve the corporate planning capacity to assist ongoing transition towards becoming a self-sustaining entity with commercially sustainable operations, as well as implementing the Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) developed for the Company. In addition, the Consultant shall assist the Company to devise and adopt an Equal Opportunities policy with a view to reducing the large gender gap in the workforce (currently 26.5% female staff vs. 73.5% male staff).
Part II: Social Support Programme
The second objective is to develop a mechanism to provide support for the low income customers so as to enable them to afford a basic service. The Republic of Tajikistan has a welfare system with subsidies to vulnerable groups, including subsidised utility services, which will bridge the affordability gap. The City has not provided direct subsidies to the low income families instead it has provided subsidies to the Company to keep the tariff level low. The necessary consideration will also be given to identifying the differences in the affordability to pay for the services by men and women of different socio-economic backgrounds and reflecting these differences in the affordability analysis and the tariff setting as, according to UNDP (2012), women are the main suppliers, users and managers of household water and 72.3% of Tajik households report that women are primarily responsible for water collection.[1] A detailed mechanism needs be developed and agreed between the City and the Company and reflected in the Public Service Agreement to be signed between the City and the Company. The counterparts of Part II are the Company and the City.
Part III: Stakeholder Participation Programme
The third objective is to implement the Stakeholders Participation Programme (“
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms or group of firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The Assignment is expected to start in Q1 2017 and has an overall duration of 36 months.
Cost Estimate for the Assignment: USD 500,000 (exclusive of VAT).
The Consultant must determine whether any indirect taxes/VAT are chargeable on the proposed services and state the basis for such. If any indirect taxes/VAT are payable, the Client will have to pay indirect taxes/VAT element to the services directly to the Consultant unless otherwise agreed.
Funding Source: EBRD Shareholder Special Fund
Eligibility: No eligibility restrictions.
Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will be a firm or a group of firms with previous project experience related to:
a) Development and implementation of corporate development programs of a comparable nature, scale and complexity to the Assignment;
b) Development and implementation of a FOPIP in organizations comparable to the Client;
c) Drafting and implementing Public Service Contract in countries with comparable conditions to Tajikistan;
d) Project management of complex assignments in organizations comparable to the Client and involving multiple stakeholders.
The Consultant’s expert team is expected to include the following key experts:
Key Expert No 1: International Project Manager / Technical Expert with preferably five years or more of previous professional experience in project management of complex assignments in organisations comparable to the Client and involving multiple stakeholders;
Key Expert No 2: Local Project Manager / Technical Expert with preferably five years or more of previous professional experience in the municipal water and wastewater sector in Tajikistan or countries with comparable conditions to Tajikistan;
Key Expert No 3: Water Supply and Wastewater Expert with preferably five years or more of previous professional experience in the municipal water and wastewater sector in Tajikistan or countries with comparable conditions to Tajikistan;
Key Expert No 4: Water and Wastewater Management Institutional, Enforcement and Regulatory Expert with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in the successful implementation of similar assignments.
Key Expert No 5: International Finance Expert with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in comparable assignments in the municipal water and wastewater sector.
Key Expert No 6: Local Finance Expert with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in comparable assignments in the municipal water and wastewater sector.
Key Expert No 7: Environmental Expert and Social/ Gender Expert with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in the successful implementation of comparable assignments and with demonstrated knowledge of the environmental and social standards of the EBRD or other comparable institutions.
Key Expert No 8: Legal Expert with preferably 5 years or more of previous professional experience in the successful implementation of similar assignments and have good knowledge of local legislation and water and wastewater sector;
Key Expert No 9: SPP and Communication Expert with previous professional experience in the successful implementation of similar assignments, especially in SPP part.
Key Expert No 10: Health and Safety Specialist with preferably five years of professional experience in similar projects.
The pool of other key experts will consist of local expertise appropriate nature, scale and complexity to the Assignment.
All key experts shall be fluent in written and spoken English. It is essential that the Consultant’s team contains some experts fluent in Russian.
Non-key experts are expected to include Office Manager/Translator/Secretary.
Submission Requirements: In order to determine the capability and experience of Consultants to be shortlisted, the information submitted should include the following:
1. Company/group of firms’ profile, organisation and staffing (max. 2-4 pages).
2. Details of previous project experience or similar assignments particularly undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contract value, contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided (if different from duration) , main activities, objectives.
3. CVs of key experts who could carry out the Assignment detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, particularly assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided, assignment budget, main activities, objectives.
4. Completed Consultant Declaration Form and Contact Sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link:
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc.
The expression of interest shall not exceed 25 pages (excluding CVs Consultant Declaration and Contact Sheet).
The complete expression of interest (including CVs, Consultant Declaration and Contact Sheet) should be submitted, in English and Russian via email (pdf) to the Client’s contact person, to reach the Client not later than the closing date. One additional copy shall reach the Bank’s contact person by the same due date. The expression of interest shall be one file (pdf). The Client reserves the right to reject applications of firms submitting more than one file. Only if any limitation on the permissible file size is exceeded, the Consultant may split the expression of interest into further files.
Important Notes:
1. Following this invitation for expressions of interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Consultant selection and contracting will be subject to availability of funding.
2. The shortlist criteria are as follows:
a) Firm’s previous experience in development and implementation of corporate development programs of a comparable nature, scale and complexity to the Assignment – 25%;
b) Firm’s previous experience in development and implementation of a FOPIP and drafting and signing of PSCs in organizations comparable to the Client – 15%;
d) Firm’s previous experience in project management of complex assignments in organizations comparable to the Client and involving multiple stakeholders – 10%
e) CV of Key expert No 1 – 10%
f) CVs of Key expert 2, 3, 4,5,6,7,8 and 9 – 40% (5% each)
